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ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Houseboy

/ˈhaʊsbɔɪ/ · noun

Meaning

(chiefly historical) A young male domestic servant, especially in a British colony in former times..

Definitions by Sense

  1. (chiefly historical) A young male domestic servant, especially in a British colony in former times.
  2. (chiefly historical, derogatory, offensive) A non-white adult male domestic servant.

Example Sentences

House servants are usually either Chinese or Tamil, the former predominating, especially in towns of any size. The domestic staff will in general consist of a houseboy (in large establishments two houseboys), a water carrier (tukang ayer), whose duties include washing dishes and preparing baths, a cook, a gardener, a chauffeur or sais, and perhaps an ayah (if Chinese, amah) or two, according to the size of the family.
A married man with a family of three living in a private house will require in most cases a cook, houseboy, an amah (female servant) for washing and ironing, a second amah to take care of small children or infants, and one or possibly two gardeners depending on the size of the lot. A syce (chauffeur) is optional in each individual case. Cooks, houseboys, and amahs are usually Chinese, while gardeners and chauffeurs are Malay.

Synonyms for houseboy

Antonyms for houseboy

Related Words

house-boyhouse boyhouseboirent boyfootboysea boycabin boypageboot boyboy in buttonsblackboybuttonscabin-boyjack boyslaveboypotboycabinboyslaveyhawk boyshopboy

Word Forms

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does houseboy mean?

Houseboy means (chiefly historical) A young male domestic servant, especially in a British colony in former times..

What is a synonym for houseboy?

The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.

What is the opposite of houseboy?

The opposite depends on the specific sense.

How do you use houseboy in a sentence?

House servants are usually either Chinese or Tamil, the former predominating, especially in towns of any size. The domestic staff will in general consist of a houseboy (in large establishments two houseboys), a water carrier (tukang ayer), whose duties include washing dishes and preparing baths, a cook, a gardener, a chauffeur or sais, and perhaps an ayah (if Chinese, amah) or two, according to the size of the family.

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.